1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optical connectors and, more particularly, to a ferrule assembly with optical conducts and alignment guide pins.
2. Brief Description of Prior Developments
U.S. Pat. No. 4,046,454 discloses an optical fiber connector having a ferrule chip with grooved, a ferrule cover without grooves, and a compliant layer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,341 discloses a ferrule plate with auxiliary grooves for alignment of two carrier plates. U.S. Pat. No. 4,818,058 discloses guide pins and beveled edges on ferrule blocks which contact the guide pins. U.S. Pat. No. 5,984,534 discloses a method and device for a waveguide connector.
A problem exists with conventional optical connectors in that guide pins need to be relatively precisely positioned relative to optical conductors to prevent losses from mated optical connectors. Ferrule members need to be precisely manufactured to exacting tolerances with increases the costs of manufacturing. Ferrule members need to be precisely assembled with each other which also increases the costs of manufacturing. There is a desire to reduce the costs associated with manufacturing optical connectors, but still provide relatively precise alignment of optical connectors. There is a desire to decrease the costs associated with manufacturing ferrule members and to increase the mateability tolerances between ferrule members.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an optical connector is provided comprising a ferrule, optical conductors, and epoxy. The ferrule has an optical conductor receiving area and guide pin receiving areas. The ferrule comprises at least two ferrule members having shaped surfaces on outer lateral sides which form the guide pin receiving areas. The ferrule members comprise mating projections and recesses proximate the outer lateral sides and between the optical conductor receiving area and the guide pin receiving areas which form epoxy seals. The optical conductors having portions located in the optical conductor receiving area. The epoxy is located in the optical conductor receiving area to connect the portions of the optical conductors to the ferrule. The epoxy seals prevent the epoxy from flowing into the guide pin receiving areas.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, an optical connector is provided comprising optical conductors; a ferrule and guide pins. The ferrule comprises ferrule members having guide surfaces which cooperate to form guide pin receiving areas. A first one of the ferrule members directly contacts portions of the optical conductors to align center axes of the optical conductor portions along a common plane. The guide pins are located in the guide pin receiving areas against the guide surfaces of the ferrule members. The guide pins have center axes aligned with the center axes of the optical conductor portions along the common plane. The ferrule members have projections and recesses with parallel contact surfaces angled relative to the common plane which contact each other and insure that the guide surfaces are located relative to each other to locate the center axes of the guide pins in the common plane.
In accordance with one method of the present invention, a method of assembling an optical connector comprising steps of locating portions of optical conductors between two ferrule members; locating projections in mating recesses of the ferrule members; forming seals at contacting surfaces of the ferrule members"" projections and recesses to seal an interior epoxy receiving area between the ferrule members from guide pin receiving areas of the ferrule members; and locating epoxy in the interior epoxy receiving area, the seals formed at the projections and recesses preventing the epoxy from flowing into the guide pin receiving areas.